By Ali G. Macabalang

COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ministries and offices are enjoined to join the countrywide celebration of the National Statistics Month (NSM) and promote proper management of statistics as vital component of efficacious planning and implementation of development initiatives.

BARMM interim Chief Minister Ahod “Hadji Murad” Ebrahim issued Memo Circular No. 46 on Oct. 1 asking ministries, agencies and offices to prominently display tarpaulins in their respective premises containing a uniform message set by the national government for the month-long observance on October 1-31.

“This year marks the 32^nd celebration of the NSM with the theme (of) NSM@32: Revving up for Economic and Social Recovery through Evidence-based Policies,” said the memo circular signed for the ICM by Senior Minister Abdulraof Macacua.

A purported lack of appreciation of statistical data by past local governments was once mentioned by high authorities as one of reasons behind ineffective planning of socio-economic and political growth in Bangsamoro communities.

“In the advent of the BARMM governance, we ought to end such a vacuum. We cannot make the difference with lack of accurate data for our planning and implementation of all sorts of development initiatives,” a staffer quoted Macacua as saying while signing the memo.

The ICM office coupled the memo as a template for the tarpaulins required of BARMM ministries, agencies and offices to “hang” prominently in their respective premises, according to a press statement from the autonomous government’s regional Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA) office.

The memo circular said the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority in collaboration with the PSA regional office would stage a virtual opening ceremony of the month-long observance on Oct. 4. (AGM)